Sensation and Perception

absolute threshold

minimum amount of stimulus energy that must be present for the stimulus to be detected 50% of the time

afterimage

continuation of a visual sensation after removal of the stimulus

amplitude

height of a wave

basilar membrane

thin strip of tissue within the cochlea that contains the hair cells which serve as the sensory receptors for the auditory system

binaural cue

two-eared cue to localize sound

binocular cue

cue that relies on the use of both eyes

binocular disparity

slightly different view of the world that each eye receives

bottom-up processing

system in which perceptions are built from sensory input

closure

organizing our perceptions into complete objects rather than as a series of parts

cochlea

fluid-filled, snail-shaped structure that contains the sensory receptor cells of the auditory system

cochlear implant

electronic device that consists of a microphone, a speech processor, and an electrode array to directly stimulate the auditory nerve to transmit information to the brain